The Beginning Of Fairies
by Elsadisney
Summary: This story follows Queen Clarion as she is born and grows in knowledge. She is very naive at the start, but grows in knowledge as she gets older.
1. The First Fairy

Thousands of years ago, when the earth was very young, the first baby laughed for the very first time. The laugh blew one dandelion seed off of its flower. That seed traveled all the way to Pixie Hollow. It arrived at a tree that had pixie dust flowing out of it. The golden dust landed on the seed, and the seed changed. It became a fairy. The fairy had large, golden wings, and brown hair. The fairy was a female, and she had big, blue eyes. About 6 inches tall, this tiny creature had only just arrived in her world.

"Hello?" asked the fairy. She was greeted with emptiness. Suddenly, mushrooms popped out of the trunk of the tree, and they were all glowing. Each had a crown sitting on it. Some were leafy, and some were made of branches. Others had flowers, and still others had droplets of water. One had an ice crystal on it. Others were filled with the most rare jewels: Never pearls, fire opals, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and all sorts of gems.

The fairy chose a simple crown with leaves and grass. It was golden, and had a sort of glow. The fairy put it on her head, and suddenly, a loud, beautiful voice boomed out.

"Welcome, Queen," it said. The fairy looked around in surprise. Where was the voice coming from?

"Am I the Queen?" the fairy asked, confused.

"Yes," the voice said again. "You are Queen Clarion. My name is Mother Dove, guardian of Never Land."

"Never Land?" the Queen asked.

"Yes, Never Land," said Mother Dove. "It is the land you are in. This part of Never Land is where the fairies should live. It is called Pixie Hollow."

"Where are you?" asked Queen Clarion. "And how long have you been here?"

Mother Dove chuckled. "I am as old as the earth itself. It has been a quite a few years that I have lived. You are the mark of the first baby human."

Queen Clarion looked confused. "What? What is a baby human? I don't understand."

"Come up to the top of the tree," Mother Dove said. "There you will find me."

Queen Clarion tested her wings. They flew nicely, and soon Queen Clarion found herself at the top of the tree. There was a dove sitting on an egg. The dove seemed to smile. It opened its mouth.

"Come into my nest," the dove said. For in fact, this was Mother Dove. Queen Clarion did so, and Mother Dove smiled.

"You have a lot to learn, young queen," said the dove. "I think that more fairies will come. But in the meantime, I will teach you all you must learn."

"How can I understand you?" Queen Clarion asked. For even though the queen had just been born, she already knew that animals could not normally speak.

"I am not an ordinary dove," Mother Dove replied. "I am a magical creature, and anyone can understand me. If you would like to meet a regular dove, then I will arrange that."

"Okay," the young queen said uncertainly.

A shrill sound came from Mother Dove's mouth. Quickly, another dove came. It spoke to Mother Dove in a series of chirps.

"This is Brother Dove," Mother Dove said. "He is my brother, but he is an ordinary dove. He cannot speak and be understood by everyone."

Brother Dove nodded his head. Then he motioned at his back and chirped.

"Brother Dove would like you to ride him," Mother Dove said. "Hold on tight!"

Queen Clarion got on, and immediately the dove was off! Riding a bird was quite different from using wings. It was much faster and more powerful. The queen struggled to hold on. Soon, Brother Dove was at the nest again.

"That was amazing!" Queen Clarion cried. "Could I ride you?"

Mother Dove shook her head. She shifted in her nest a little, and underneath her body was an egg.

"If this egg ever breaks, Pixie Hollow will be doomed," Mother Dove said. "As long as I sit on it, it will not break. But if I leave it, it will break," the dove said.

Queen Clarion frowned. "So you can't move?" she asked.

"No," sighed the dove. "But before I laid this egg, I flew around Never Land, viewing all of the things that make this place. I am not missing much, and if I ever want companionship, I can call Brother Dove."

Queen Clarion nodded.

"Now we need to do something with your hair," said the dove. "It would never do to have a queen with non-regal hair."

Indeed, the queen's hair was hanging loose down her back. Her bangs were over her forehead, and she looked very much like a non-royal fairy, except for her crown and golden wings.

The queen nodded, and Mother Dove told her to find some pixie dust. Queen Clarion did, and the dove wove it through the fairy's hair with her beak. The hair began to twist and spin, and within minutes, a very complicated up-do was in the queen's hair. She looked very queenly now, with the complicated design in her hair.

"Now, Queen Clarion, we will change your dress," Mother Dove said. "The dandelion fluff is not very queenly looking, and besides, dandelion fluff does not hold together for long."

"I'll get some pixie dust," Queen Clarion replied. She returned with a leaf-bag full of dust. Mother Dove instructed the fairy to sit very close to her beak, and then the dove tore open the bag. Pixie dust poured over the queen, and she began to glow brightly. In moments, her dandelion fluff dress had been replaced with a shimmering dress made of pixie dust.

Mother Dove held a piece of blue pixie dust in her beak. Queen Clarion picked it up and gingerly set it on the top of her dress. The pixie dust in her dress began to flow, making the pixie dust flow smoothly down the dress, before it disappeared at the bottom. The never-ending flow of dust ensured that the queen's dress would never run out.

Now, looking more regal than ever, the queen found a room in the tree and moved in. There was a flower bed and a curtain over the doorway. The queen, who was very tired by now, fell onto the bed and slept soundly.


	2. Queen Clarion Learns

Now, in the first days of Queen Clarion's life, she did not have any fairy companions. She was a lone fairy, the first fairy ever, and the only fairy for the time being. She could talk to Mother Dove if she wanted to. She was not lonely.

One fine spring day, a few years after Queen Clarion had been born, a dandelion fluff floated through Pixie Hollow. The queen saw this. She was curious, for as long as she had lived in Pixie Hollow, she had never seen anything like it. Of course, there were dandelions in Pixie Hollow, but they were more rare, and the fluffs were tiny. In fact, when a dandelion fluff is infused with a baby's first laugh, it will grow to about the size of a fairy.

Queen Clarion followed the fluff. It blew to the center of the Pixie Dust Tree. Then it sat there, waiting for something.

"Mother Dove?" called Queen Clarion, flying up to the bird's nest. "There is a big dandelion fluff in the Pixie Dust Tree. What should I do?"

The dove chuckled knowingly. "That is a new fairy, just waiting to be born. You must help it."

"But how?" wondered the queen. "I didn't have help when I was born!"

"You floated into the stream of pixie dust," Mother Dove replied. "This fluff did not."

"It needs pixie dust, then," Queen Clarion affirmed. When Mother Dove nodded, she grabbed a leaf and filled it with pixie dust. She poured it on the dandelion fluff.

A head rose from the fluff. The new fairy's wings also appeared, but Queen Clarion did not notice.

"Hello?" the fairy asked. The strikingly male voice surprised Queen Clarion, who had never heard a male speak before.

"Hello," Queen Clarion said. "I am Queen Clarion."

The fairy rose with a start, and bowed.

Queen Clarion smiled. "Thank you, but there is no need to bow," she said.

The fairy smiled. He had brown hair and blue eyes. His skin was pale, but not too pale. He bowed again. Then he said, "You have very yellow wings. Do I have wings?"

Queen Clarion looked at the fairy's back. He did have wings, but they hung limply. The queen was surprised that his wings were not golden, but clear. The queen whispered to Mother Dove, "What do I do now?"

Mother Dove did not answer, but Queen Clarion suddenly thought to examine his wings. She touched them and ran her fingers up the wings. She was surprised that there was a golden glow on his wing pattern. She took her hands away, and the glow faded. The wings were now erect and straight, not drooping anymore.

The fairy fluttered his wings. He began to rise into the air, and Queen Clarion grasped his hand so he would not fly too high. She turned around until the fairy's feet touched the ground.

Then, mushrooms appeared. Instead of holding crowns, they all held a ball that was pink colored.

The fairy, confused, touched one. Immediately, there was a loud voice, saying "spring" over and over.

Suddenly, Queen Clarion felt something in her mind. It seemed to say, "This is the Minister of Spring." It was not uncertain, and Queen Clarion had no doubt that the fairy was named The Minister of Spring.

"Your name is The Minister of Spring!" Queen Clarion told the fairy. He looked surprised, and then he smiled.

"Where will I live?" he asked.

"Why, in the Spring Valley," Queen Clarion said. He was the Minister of Spring, no doubt about it, so why shouldn't he live in the Spring Valley?

Queen Clarion led the Minister of Spring to the spring gazebo. Queen Clarion had always wondered why it was there, and now she knew that it was to house the Minister of Spring.

Another year passed. Spring of next year held no new fairies, but then summer came. A dandelion fluff blew through Pixie Hollow. Queen Clarion now knew that this was a new fairy. She guided it to the Pixie Dust Tree, and then poured pixie dust on it.

A fairy's head came up. It was a female fairy, and she said, "Hello?" Her red hair and green eyes were new. The fairy's hair was in an Afro, and Queen Clarion was quite surprised.

"Hello," said Queen Clarion.

She then ran her hands up the fairy's wings. They shone with pixie dust, and then became clear again. She grasped the fairy's hand. Queen Clarion twirled the fairy around in the air. The fairy's feet touched the ground, and the queen let go.

The new fairy was a bit plump, and she had pink cheeks. The mushrooms popped out of the tree, and the queen saw with surprise that a warm summer breeze was blowing from them! The breeze was faintly visible, and when the fairy touched one, the word "summer" sounded over and over again.

"Your name is The Minister of Summer!" Queen Clarion said. She had heard the unmistakable voice again in her head. The plump little fairy smiled.

Queen Clarion brought the Minister of Summer, in her dandelion fluff, to Beach Cove. The fairy found a flower and wrapped it around herself. The Minister of Summer now did not look so new. The Minister of Spring was wearing a blue flower robe. It looked a bit silly on a sparrowman, but the male fairy did not complain.

In these early days, the seasons never changed. It was comfortable weather on the mainland year-round. But that would change very soon.


	3. A New Fairy

Queen Clarion was happy to have another female fairy to talk to. The Minister of Summer was cheery and happy. She never said an ill word.

The Minister of Spring was a busy fairy. He liked to keep lists. He was very orderly, and he was always on time. Queen Clarion was happy with the two fairies, and glad she had fairy companions.

One cool autumn day, a large dandelion fluff floated by Beach Cove. The Minister of Summer, or "Summer" as Queen Clarion called her, saw it.

"Queen Clarion!" shouted Summer. "There's a large dandelion fluff floating by! It seems to be laughing! What do I do?"

Queen Clarion smiled. "I'll take it, Minister of Summer. It's a new fairy!"

The Minister of Summer grinned. "So that is what a new fairy looks like!"

Queen Clarion guided it to the Pixie Dust Tree. It softly floated down to the ground. The fluff stayed still until the queen poured pixie dust on it. Then, a head rose up. It had brown eyes and dark brown hair. The new fairy's light skin was in contrast to the dark eyes and hair.

Queen Clarion said, "Hello." The Minister of Spring and the Minister of Summer, who were sitting up high in the natural seating, also said hello.

"Hello?" the fairy said uncertainly. It was a male fairy, Queen Clarion discovered. Queen Clarion smiled and offered a hand to the fairy. He grasped it and stood up.

Queen Clarion examined his wings, and he began to flutter them. The queen held his hand and twirled around with him. He landed and smiled.

Then the mushrooms popped up. In each one was a leaf headdress. The new pixie walked around, looking at each one. Some were orange, others yellow. There were brilliant reds, and even some brown. Each one was a different shade. The new fairy finally picked up an orange one and put it on his head.

The queen again heard the voice in her head. It's certain words she spoke.

"Your name is The Minister of Autumn," Queen Clarion said.

The fairy smiled. "A wonderful name to have," he said.

Queen Clarion led the Minister of Autumn to the Autumn Gazebo. This would be his home. The other Ministers followed.

"Welcome to Pixie Hollow!" cried the Minister of Summer, presenting the new fairy with an autumn-leaf gown. The Minister of Autumn smiled. He went behind a branch. When he came back out, he was wearing the gown.

Those days were carefree days for Queen Clarion and the other fairies. They had no duties and could do whatever they wanted. With so few fairies, not much trouble could arise. Queen Clarion practiced using pixie dust. Soon, she was very advanced with it, even being able to travel in streams of pure pixie dust. She wrote down many things she discovered. The fairies did not know how to write in English at this time, so they used an alphabet called Leaf Lettering.

New fairies did not arrive frequently. Although many babies were born on the mainland, barely any laughs arrived in Pixie Hollow. They got lost and scattered on many undiscovered islands. Queen Clarion did not know if any new fairies would ever come.


	4. The First Winter Fairy

Queen Clarion was happy. The Minister of Autumn lived in the Autumn Gazebo, which he called Harvest Promenade. That was actually the proper name for it, but Queen Clarion just called it the Autumn Gazebo.

The Minister of Summer lived in Beach Cove. It was close to the Summer Glade. She loved it there, because big, lush flowers grew there.

The Minister of Spring lived in the Spring Gazebo. He liked it there too. He had organized all of the flowers in there, even uprooting flowers and transplanting them to where other flowers of that kind grew. He was not very good at that, unfortunately, so most of his transplanted flowers keeled over.

Nobody lived in the Winter Woods. It was a cold, uninviting place for the fairies. Queen Clarion had tried to cross the border once to get some snow, but her wings felt awful and cold. She did not want to risk crossing again.

After quite a few years, there was another dandelion fluff that came into Pixie Hollow. Naturally, the Minister of Autumn was confused as to what it was. The other fairies explained that it was going to be a fairy soon. The queen guided it to the Pixie Dust Tree, and it landed softly on the middle of the tree.

Queen Clarion poured dust on the fluff, and up came the head. "Hello, there," Queen Clarion said to the new fairy.

"Hello?" the fairy said uncertainly. It was a girl, and she had very pale skin. Her hair was pure white, and her eyes were an icy blue.

"Born of laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here. Welcome to Pixie Hollow!" Queen Clarion cried. A few days ago, Mother Dove had told the queen that that was the proper welcome for a new fairy.

"Let me see your wings," Queen Clarion said. She lifted them and put pixie dust on them. The fairy began to flutter, and the queen grabbed her hand and twirled her around. The fairy smiled, and then she landed.

The mushrooms popped from the tree. Queen Clarion saw that there were crowns made of icicles on each mushroom. The fairy walked around them. Some were blue, and others were green. Still others were clear. The fairy picked up a bluish clear one. She put it on her head. Queen Clarion heard the voice in her head.

"Your name is The Minister of Winter!" the queen cried.

The new fairy smiled. "A wonderful name," she said. "It seems to suit me."

Queen Clarion led her to the border between the warm seasons and the Winter Woods. "I can't cross, for it is too cold for me," Queen Clarion explained. "You will find a home there."

The Minister of Winter flew across the border. She went far enough away that the queen could not see her. A few days later, the Minister of Winter flew across the border. "I have found a home in Snowfall Grotto Center," she declared. Then, the winter fairy flew back across.

Because the Minister of Winter became a fairy on the warm side, she could cross the border and not break her wings. She was very remarkable that way, for only a few winter fairies would ever have that ability.

A few years later, there was another new arrival. The fluff became a short, stout fairy. It was a light-skinned female fairy. She had brown hair and brown eyes. The queen liked this fairy.

"Hello?" the fairy said.

Queen Clarion pixie-dusted the fairy's wings and taught her to fly. Then, up popped the mushrooms. Instead of things that looked almost the same, there was a distinctly different thing on each mushroom. On one was a water drop. Another held an egg. One had a flower, and there was a hammer in another. In another, there was a miniature tornado.

The new fairy fluttered over to a paintbrush. When she touched it, it became dark and fell. When she touched the tornado, it vanished into a pile of dirt. The petals fell from the flower when the new fairy touched it. The new fairy touched the hammer, expecting it to fall and go dark. Instead, the hammer began to glow brightly. The fairy grabbed it tighter, and it glowed bright as the moon.

The voice inside Queen Clarion's head said, _this is Fairy Mary, a tinker fairy._

"Fairy Mary, it looks like you are a tinker!" Queen Clarion cried.

The new fairy beamed. "Well, crack my kettles! Wonderful!"

Queen Clarion led Fairy Mary to Tinker's Nook, where she would stay. From the beginning, Fairy Mary had a strong desire to fix things. She made teacups, so that pixie dust would not have to be gathered with leaves.

More and more fairies were born. Hardly a month passed before another new arrival came. There was a fairy for each talent before long, and soon, there were groups of fairies with the same talent. Fairy Mary became the boss of the tinker fairies. Even snowflake fairies were born at the Pixie Dust Tree. That was the only winter talent back then.

Soon, Pixie Hollow was thriving with fairies. Water fairies performed water ballet for other fairies. Animal fairies took care of birds and other creatures. Tinker fairies were always fixing things.

Just as suddenly as the overabundance of new arrivals started, it stopped. About 200 years had passed. The last new fairy for a long time was a water fairy. The fluff that floated by was drenched. A helpful fast-flying fairy carried the soaked dandelion fluff to the Pixie Dust Tree.

Queen Clarion came over. "What happened to this poor fluff?" wondered the worried queen.

"I don't know," said the fast-flying fairy. "It was soaking wet and just barely floating."

Queen Clarion waited for a dust-keeper fairy to pour pixie dust on the fluff. That job had been taken over by the dust-keepers when there was a huge increase in new arrivals. The fairy was soaking wet when she said hello.

"Are you okay?" asked the queen.

"I think so," replied the new fairy.

Queen Clarion examined the new fairy's wings. The new fairy was a girl. Queen Clarion frowned when she saw the fairy's wings.

"They are completely soaked," the queen proclaimed. "I am very sorry, but this new fairy will be unable to fly for a while."

"That's okay," the fairy said.

When the mushrooms popped up, the fairies brought the talent symbols to the mushrooms. Now there were not any new items that popped up. The new fairy walked over to the water drop immediately. It glowed brightly when she picked it up.

"You are a water fairy, Silvermist," Queen Clarion said.

The other water fairies helped Silvermist get to Havendish Stream on foot.

For nearly 10 years, there were no new fairies. The older fairies, who were so used to seeing new arrivals every month, were very surprised by this. But gradually, life continued on as normal as it could be for the fairies. Silvermist was still the newest fairy, but she was no longer treated like a newbie. Life was good for the fairies.


	5. Delivering the Seasons

After years of no new fairies, there was a dandelion fluff. However, it did not land in the Pixie Dust Tree. After floating past the Pixie Dust Tree unnoticed, it went through the border of the Winter Woods.

The Minister of Winter and a snowflake fairy named Qana saw it. "What is a dandelion fluff doing here, in the Winter Woods?" wondered the Minister of Winter.

Qana guided it to where pixie dust flowed in the Winter Woods. It came from a root of the Pixie Dust Tree. The dust collected in a small hole under the root.

The fluff floated softly into the pixie dust. The newly born fairy lifted his head and said, "Hello?"

"Hello," the Minister of Winter said. "I am the Minister of Winter."

The new fairy smiled. "Who am I?" he asked.

From the hole with pixie dust, mushrooms sprouted. Each one had a crown on it. They were all simple, each one a different design. The new fairy picked up one and put it on his head.

A faint voice came from the root of the tree. "You are Lord Milori, the lord of winter."

"Humph!" cried the Minister of Winter. " _I'm_ the first winter fairy. Why can't I be the lord of winter?" Realizing how that sounded, she quickly said, "I mean the _lady_ of winter."

Qana said, "Well, this Lord Milori was the first fairy actually _born_ in the Winter Woods."

Lord Milori nodded. "I suppose that is true."

In the Pixie Dust Tree, Queen Clarion awoke. "Mother Dove, did you say something?"

Mother Dove shook her beaked head and said, "Nothing important to you."

In fact, Mother Dove, knowing that sound can travel through wood, had said the name of the new fairy.

Queen Clarion nodded sleepily and flew back to her room. She fell onto her bed and went to sleep.

In the Winter Woods, the Minister of Winter was giving Lord Milori a tour of his season.

"This is Snowfall Grotto," the Minister of Winter explained. "The middle with the ice snowflake is my home, Snowfall Grotto Center."

The Minister of Winter flew to another part of the Winter Woods. "Here is the Frost Forest. It has many leaves. For frosting, I assume."

Soon, the two fairies fluttered to the border. "This is the border. It separates winter from the warm seasons. If you want, we can go across," the Minister of Winter said.

"Okay," Lord Milori said.

The fairies crossed the border. Instantly, Lord Milori felt hot and dry. His wings felt as if they were melting. He fell to the ground, and the Minister of Winter gasped.

"It's too hot," croaked Lord Milori.

The Minister of Winter tried to lift him. Along with Qana and a few other snowflake fairies, they got him back into the Winter Woods.

As soon as the snow touched Lord Milori, he felt better. He got up and smiled. "Thank you," he told the winter fairies who had helped him.

"I wonder why you fell when you crossed the border?" wondered the Minister of Winter.

Lord Milori frowned. "I felt so hot and dry, and my wings felt as if they were melting."

Qana raised a finger. "Maybe because he was born here, his wings can't stand the heat!"

"I think you are correct," Lord Milori said. "I probably should not cross again."

All of the winter fairies nodded.

Whenever a new winter fairy was born after that, the fairy would be born in the Winter Woods. The snowflake fairies who could go to the warm seasons always put out their snowflake, but no fairies that were born in the Pixie Dust Tree ever became snowflake fairies after Lord Milori was born.

After new fairies started arriving again, a need became necessary. The mainland had changed very much, and now the fairies had to deliver the seasons. Before, it was always a nice temperature, but now plants could not grow without the changing of the seasons.

The Minister of Spring would deliver his season first. Warm fairies of all talents were busy preparing for the first season delivered.

Fairy Mary decided that the tinkers did not need to go to the mainland. They could fix and build things to take along, but it was unnecessary for them to come along.

It was decided that Queen Clarion would not come either. She was needed in Pixie Hollow to rule the tinker fairies, who would not be coming along. She was also much too precious to lose. If the fairies ran into any danger along the way, they wanted to be sure that their queen would not be in danger.

After about a month of planning, a flower in Spring Valley bloomed. This flower had never bloomed before, and would only bloom when spring was ready to be delivered.

The Minister of Spring remembered something. "Queen Clarion, will you please notify the winter fairies about the changing of the seasons?" he asked.

"Of course," the queen said. "I'll tell the Minister of Winter immediately."

She flew to the border. "Minister of Winter?" called Queen Clarion. She didn't dare go into the Winter Woods. It was much to cold for her.

Queen Clarion saw a sparrowman she did not recognize. He was handsome, with pale skin and white hair. The white hair did not make him look old, and it went with his brown eyes. Many winter fairies had white hair.

"Hello, do you know where the Minister of Winter is? I would like to speak to her," Queen Clarion said.

"No, I do not," the sparrowman replied. "I can take a message for her. I'm Lord Milori, by the way."

"Queen Clarion," the queen said.

Lord Milori bowed. "I did not realize that you were the queen!" he said.

Queen Clarion laughed. Then she grew serious again. "Oh yes, I almost forgot," she said. "Will you please tell the Minister of Winter that we will be changing the seasons on the mainland? Spring is being delivered now, but after summer and autumn are delivered, winter will need to be delivered."

"I will tell her," replied Lord Milori.

He flew off deeper into the Winter Woods. Half an hour later, he was back.

"Did you tell her?" asked the queen.

Lord Milori nodded. "Yes, I did. And here, these are for you."

Queen Clarion saw a bouquet of snowdrops in Lord Milori's hand. In the middle of each snowdrop, there was a precious snow quartz.

Queen Clarion took the flowers from the sparrowman. She winced when the freezing snow hit her hand, and she pulled it back across the border with the flowers.

"Thank you," Queen Clarion said. Then she turned around and gracefully flew back to the Pixie Dust Tree.

The Minister of Summer was waiting for her. "The fairies have already left to go deliver spring," the Minister of Summer informed.

Queen Clarion nodded distractedly. Her mind was on Lord Milori. The sparrowman was very charming, and Queen Clarion liked his sweet attitude.

Queen Clarion flew over to the Autumn Forest. An art fairy named Magnolia was painting leaves.

"Why aren't you with the other fairies?" Queen Clarion asked softly.

Magnolia turned around. "I'm not good enough at painting leaves, your Highness."

"Please, just call me Queen Clarion," Queen Clarion said. "You are an art-talent fairy, right?"

Magnolia nodded. "Mariana, another art fairy, said that I needed to practice painting leaves here before I can go to the mainland. I painted some of the leaves that they are taking along, but they aren't very good."

Queen Clarion put a hand on Magnolia's shoulder. "I see," she said. "Can you paint a picture for me? And please, don't let any other art fairies see it."

"Yes," Magnolia said. "We can go to my studio. My friend Blair has lent me some paints."

The two fairies flew over to Magnolia's studio. The leaf canvas was blank.

Queen Clarion described Lord Milori to Magnolia. The art fairy began to paint. She was very good at it, and the painting seemed almost real. Magnolia smiled as she painted.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is this sparrowman that I am painting?" Magnolia wondered.

"He is Lord Milori, the lord of winter. I met him today when I was delivering a message to the Minister of Winter," Queen Clarion explained.

Magnolia grinned. She had finished painting Lord Milori. Queen Clarion was amazed at the likeness. Magnolia had never even seen Lord Milori, but the painting was flawless!

"Thank you," Queen Clarion said. She flew to her home, painting in hand.


	6. Lord Milori

Queen Clarion was holding on to her painting. She set it down on her bed and went to talk to Mother Dove.

"Mother Dove?" Queen Clarion called, flying up to Mother Dove's nest.

Mother Dove was sitting on her egg, and she saw Queen Clarion.

"You seem different today, Queen Clarion," Mother Dove said.

Queen Clarion smiled. "I met a winter sparrowman today, Mother Dove. He is the lord of winter. He is very handsome, and it makes me feel happy."

Mother Dove seemed to smile with her beak. "It seems like you like this sparrowman. But please be careful. I don't want any fairies to get hurt."

Queen Clarion looked confused. "Is it okay if I like him?" she asked.

"Yes," Mother Dove said. "Just do not let your love for him grow too strong. I sense great tragedy if you do not pay careful heed to my instructions."

Queen Clarion nodded, clearly confused. "I must be going, Mother Dove," said the queen.

Queen Clarion went back to her room. She picked up the painting of Lord Milori. Then, she flew over to the border between the warm seasons and winter. Lord Milori was close by. When he saw the queen, his face lit up and he flew towards her. He stopped at the border.

"I have something for you," Queen Clarion said shyly. She handed him the painting, just barely letting her fingers pass the border.

Lord Milori smiled. "Thank you," he said. "You are very kind."

"As are you," Queen Clarion said.

The Minister of Winter flew out of the Winter Woods. "Hello, Queen Clarion," she said. "Thank you for telling me about the changing of seasons. It is very helpful."

Queen Clarion smiled. "You're welcome," she said.

"Fly with you later!" the Minister of Winter called. Then, she went back across the border. Soon, Queen Clarion could not see her retreating form.

"You could come across the border," Queen Clarion suggested to Lord Milori.

"I can't," Lord Milori said. "If I cross, I feel hot and dry, and my wings feel like they are melting."

"Oh dear," Queen Clarion said. "That is terrible! I wonder why that is? The Minister of Winter and a few snowflake-talent fairies are not affected by it."

"I think it is because I was born in the Winter Woods, instead of in the warm seasons," replied Lord Milori.

Queen Clarion nodded. "That is probably it."

Just then, Queen Clarion became aware of a terrible sound coming from Tinker's Nook. "Oh dear!" Queen Clarion cried. "I have to go. I'll meet you at the border tomorrow morning!"

"I'll see you then," Lord Milori promised. Then he flew deeper into the Winter Woods.

Queen Clarion flew away. She landed in Tinker's Nook. Fairy Mary was freaking out and counting on her fingers.

"What seems to be the problem?" Queen Clarion asked.

Fairy Mary looked up. "Oh! Queen Clarion! I am so glad you're here! It's crazy! Clank created an invention that makes the sound of croaking frogs, and now all of the frogs in Pixie Hollow have come here!"

Queen Clarion saw frogs running all over Tinker's Nook. One had a fairy hanging out of its' mouth.

"Yikes," Queen Clarion said. "Let me see the invention."

Fairy Mary pointed to a wooden box. Inside, a grass spring was stretching and contracting. It was a noisy spring, and the sound it made was _rrrrrrrribbbbb-it! Rrrrrrrrrrrib-it!_

"Can you get an animal fairy?" Fairy Mary cried.

Queen Clarion shook her head. "They are all on the mainland, delivering spring."

Fairy Mary covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh, dear..."

Queen Clarion flew quietly over to the box. She looked at the noisy spring. Then, she took a pointy rock from the ground and neatly sliced the spring in half.

The noise stopped, and the frogs stopped running around. The frog with the fairy in its mouth dropped the fairy. Then, all of the frogs bounded away.

Clank, a heavy, white-skinned sparrowman, frowned. "Hay, whot did you do that for?" he asked.

"It was causing trouble," Queen Clarion replied.

Clank nodded and went back to his work. One of the teapots that the baking-talent fairies used was leaking, and that was his job.

Queen Clarion flew back to her room in the Pixie Dust Tree. She sighed. It was sometimes hard work being the queen. However, Queen Clarion had someone else to think about. She sighed. Clearly, she was starting to be in love with Lord Milori. She hoped that word would not get around; for that was the sort of thing one wants to keep to herself. Queen Clarion fell asleep, thinking about the handsome winter sparrowman.


	7. Clumsies

The next morning, Queen Clarion woke up. She went out the doorway of her room and bumped into Viola! Viola was a fast-flying fairy who specialized in summoning people quickly. Because of this, Queen Clarion had made Viola the queen's special summoning fairy.

"Hello, Queen Clarion," Viola said. "How are you today?"

Queen Clarion smiled. "Are the fairies back from delivering spring yet?"

Viola nodded. "Shall I fetch someone for you?"

"I would like you to get the Minister of Spring," replied the queen.

Viola nodded and turned away. Her large, pointed wings flapped mightily as she flew off quickly. Within seconds, she was back. The Minister of Spring was behind her, huffing and puffing as he struggled to keep up.

"Queen Clarion!" the Minister of Spring cried once he caught his breath. "The season has been changed very well, and I have caught sight of very strange creatures. They are giants, around 5 feet tall!"

Queen Clarion and Viola both gasped.

"They look a little like us," the Minister of Spring went on, "and they don't have wings. Their ears are rounded. One of them saw me and yelled. I don't think that they are friendly."

Queen Clarion nodded gravely. "I hope that none come to Never Land," she said solemnly. "Do you have any idea what they are called?"

"I do not know," the Minister of Spring said. "I believe I heard one say to the other, 'Watch where you are going, _Clumsy_!' I wonder..."

"They may be called Clumsies," Queen Clarion said. "I have got to do some important things, so I would like you to return to what you were doing before I summoned you."

The Minister of Spring flew away. Viola was frowning. "These "clumsies" sound like trouble to me," Viola said.

"Let's not come to conclusions," Queen Clarion said. "Fairies should stay away from these Clumsies."

"I'll tell Cello to spread the word," Viola said.

Cello was a fast-flying fairy who specialized in spreading messages. Some called her the Messenger Fairy. Viola and Cello were good friends.

Viola flew off, and Queen Clarion breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could go off and see Lord Milori.

When Queen Clarion arrived at the border, Lord Milori was there. He smiled when he saw the queen.

"I am glad you came," Lord Milori said. "I have something for you."

He handed the queen a few diamonds. "Tell the tinker fairies to make it into a statue of you," Lord Milori said. "We don't have tinkers over in the Winter Woods, so I couldn't have it made into a statue."

Queen Clarion laughed her bell-like giggle. The two pixie rulers smiled at each other. The two chatted with each other for a while. Then Lord Milori had to tend to business. Queen Clarion flew away from the border, a dreamy look on her face.


	8. Summer's Just Begun

Queen Clarion was very happy. Every day, she met with Lord Milori at the border. And every day, their love grew stronger.

Soon, it was time to prepare for taking summer to the mainland. Queen Clarion decided that the nature fairies would stay on the mainland for the entire summer. That way, if anything went wrong, the fairies would be right there to fix it.

The Minister of Summer would be there with the fairies. Queen Clarion was a bit sad to see her go, since she and Queen Clarion were quite good friends. Some of the nature fairies would stay in Pixie Hollow to prepare for autumn.

Queen Clarion helped with preparations a bit. Sometimes a fairy would come to her needing an item. Queen Clarion usually had the item that the fairy was looking for.

The diamonds that Lord Milori had given her were made into a statue of Queen Clarion. The tinker-talent fairies had to chisel it with diamond tools, because diamond is the hardest substance. When it was finished, Queen Clarion put it by her bedside. The statue was life-sized.

One day, it was time to bring summer to the mainland. The Minister of Summer said goodbye to Queen Clarion. "Fly with you later!" said the Minister of Summer lightheartedly.

Queen Clarion waved to the procession of mainland-bound fairies. She smiled as they flew away. Queen Clarion knew that summer would be wonderful. She was glad that she was not going, however. Queen Clarion wanted to be able to talk to Lord Milori.

The queen flew to the border. She was greeted with nothing. Lord Milori was not there! Queen Clarion began to panic. _Surely he's just late,_ she thought, trying to calm herself. He did not show for at least an hour, though, and Queen Clarion was very worried.

Finally, Queen Clarion saw a fairy in the distance. Her heart leapt. Then it sank. It was the Minister of Winter, not Lord Milori.

"Do you have any idea where the lord of winter is?" Queen Clarion called, trying not to sound worried.

"He is with the new arrival," the Minister of Winter replied.

Queen Clarion looked confused. "New arrival? I didn't see any new arrivals at the Pixie Dust Tree!"

The Minister of Winter laughed. "It's not a new warm fairy, it's a new winter fairy," she explained. "His name is Dewey, and he is the Keeper of All Fairy Knowledge, it seems."

Queen Clarion was surprised. "My reading-talents should tell him some things. They are very smart, and they really would like to have reading material."

In those days, almost nothing was ever written down. There was a fairy library, but it was empty, and there were no bookworms about. The only time anything was written was when a fast-flying fairy had a message to carry, and it was too long to remember. Furthermore, everything was written in old Leaf Lettering.

Suddenly, Lord Milori came up to the border. There was a sparrowman with him. He was short and chubby, and he had small wings. He had a white moustache and white hair that was sticking out in large tufts. Glasses obscured his blue eyes.

"Hi there, I'm the Keeper. Call me Dewey," the squat pixie said.

Queen Clarion smiled. "I'm Queen Clarion."

Dewey looked surprised. He bowed.

The Minister of Winter had already flown away. Dewey was still smiling. "Dewey, why don't you go and meet the Minister of Winter?" Lord Milori suggested.

Dewey flew off, and Lord Milori's eyes softened. "How are you today, Queen Clarion?" asked Lord Milori.

"I am doing wonderful," replied the queen. "Many fairies have gone off to deliver summer."

Lord Milori looked surprised. "That is today?" he asked.

Queen Clarion nodded. "I sent them off. They will be on the mainland for about the whole summer and return a few days before autumn."

Lord Milori smiled. "It must be strange, having many of the fairies gone."

Queen Clarion frowned. "It is, but you get used to it."

"When winter comes, all of the winter fairies will have to leave and change the season," Lord Milori said.

Queen Clarion looked surprised. "I did not know!"

"Yes," Lord Milori said. "But don't worry, we will only be gone for a few days."

Queen Clarion looked a bit sad. "I will miss you greatly when you go, Lord Milori."

Lord Milori agreed. "I will miss you too, Queen Clarion."

They talked a bit more, and then they flew away from each other.

Summer was long and uneventful for Queen Clarion. With so few fairies, she did not have to check up on them as often. Then, five days before summer ended, all of the fairies came back.

The Minister of Autumn was very glad to see the fairies come back. Art-talent fairies practiced painting leaves beautiful shades of orange and red. Some of the art fairies who were not as talented would paint leaves brown.

The animal fairies would help the animals hibernate. Some animals started their slumber in autumn, while others would not sleep until winter. The winter animal fairies would help them when winter came.

Everything was being made ready. The Minister of Autumn was overseeing the work. Art fairies would paint leaves until they were ready to do it on the mainland. Other art fairies would mix the perfect color.

Finally, everything was ready. The Minister of Autumn took the fairies to the mainland, and they brought autumn to the world. When they returned, Queen Clarion declared that an autumn revelry would take place a week after autumn had started. Now the queen was busier than ever. Her visits with Lord Milori were shortened to about 15 minutes. Their love for each other never wavered, though.

The autumn revelry was fantastic. The fairies had a wonderful time, with every talent contributing something. Even the few snowflake fairies who could cross the border without getting too hot helped out.

After the revelry, Queen Clarion was very tired. She had overworked herself. A healing talent fairy tended to her while she rested in bed. The queen got better, and she could finally go to the border and meet with Lord Milori. Lord Milori had been very worried, and was overjoyed that the queen was all right.


	9. A Long Winter

Soon, it was time to deliver winter to the mainland. Queen Clarion was a bit upset. Lord Milori was going to go, and she would miss him.

The day that Lord Milori left, he met Queen Clarion at the border. "I will miss you, Queen Clarion," he said.

"And I you, Lord Milori," said the queen.

"Lord Milori, it is time to leave!" cried a voice belonging to the Minister of Winter.

Lord Milori flew off. Queen Clarion was sad. She already missed Lord Milori, and he wasn't even out of Pixie Hollow!

It was a long winter for Queen Clarion. Life carried on as usual for the warm fairies. Except for a few snowflake fairies that had been born on the warm side that were not there, nothing seemed different. Queen Clarion kept busy helping the fairies that needed assistance, and welcoming the rare new arrivals.

When the winter fairies came back a month later, Queen Clarion was elated. She knew that they were back when she saw a snowflake fairy fluttering around the Pixie Dust Tree.

Queen Clarion flew to the border as fast as her wings could carry her. Lord Milori was waiting there.

"I have missed you very much," Queen Clarion said tearfully.

Lord Milori smiled. "I have missed you too," he said. "Every day on the mainland I thought about your lovely face."

Queen Clarion smiled. "I am glad."

When the two parted, Queen Clarion was smiling. She flew to the Pixie Dust Tree and flew over to Mother Dove.

"You are very happy, happier than I have seen you in quite a while," Mother Dove said.

Queen Clarion smiled again. "It is because Lord Milori is back. He fills my heart with joy."

Mother Dove seemed to smile. "You like him a lot. But be careful."


	10. An Unforgettable Tragedy

Many seasons passed: Spring, summer, autumn, winter. The preparations for each season became normal. Queen Clarion met with Lord Milori at the border every day. Their love grew stronger every day.

Many years passed. One fateful day, Queen Clarion met at the border with Lord Milori.

"Oh, how I wish that I could show you the Winter Woods and all that lies inside," Lord Milori said.

"And I wish that I could show you the warm seasons, and everything in them," Queen Clarion said.

"Maybe it is time for us to share our worlds," said Lord Milori.

As he spoke, a ripple of uncertainty went through the young queen. She remembered Mother Dove's words, " _be very careful..._ "

But Queen Clarion pushed those thoughts away. "We must not stay together for long," she said. "Our wings could break."

"I understand the danger," said Lord Milori. "We will not stay together for longer than it takes to craft a snowflake."

Queen Clarion nodded.

"Will you show me your world first?" asked Queen Clarion.

"Yes," said Lord Milori.

Queen Clarion took a deep breath and flew through the border. Almost at once she felt a deep cold. It went right through her skin and made her tiny bones ache. But she tried to concentrate on the sights of Lord Milori's world.

Queen Clarion was amazed to see frost fairies frosting plants. One of them pointed and gasped, "The Queen!"

All of the fairies bowed, and Queen Clarion laughed. Suddenly, the queen's wings began to feel icy.

"Lord Milori, I must go back," Queen Clarion said worriedly.

Lord Milori grasped Queen Clarion's hand. Together they flew as fast as they could to the border. Lord Milori stopped, and Queen Clarion crossed.

"Thank you," Queen Clarion said.

"You are welcome," Lord Milori said.

Queen Clarion turned her head to look at her wings. They were not icy feeling any more, but there were still a few blue spots on them.

"I will be back soon," Queen Clarion said. "I must get my wings warmed up."

"That is fine," Lord Milori said. "I will be waiting."

Queen Clarion flew back to the Pixie Dust Tree. She searched for a light fairy. Soon, she spotted one.

"Moonglow," called Queen Clarion, "please come over here."

The light fairy fluttered over. "What is it?" she asked in surprise. Her blue eyes sparkled.

"Will you please bend light to hit my wings?" asked the queen.

"Of course," said Moonglow.

Moonglow flew higher in order to get a bigger beam. She noticed the blue spots on the queen's wings. After Moonglow had bent the light so that it would hit Queen Clarion's wings, she asked Queen Clarion about the blue spots.

"My wings are just a little cold," said Queen Clarion, not wishing to discuss crossing the border.

"How did they get cold?" asked Moonglow.

"Well," Queen Clarion said, "I was..." she glanced back at her wings. The blue spots had melted away.

"Thank you for your help, Moonglow," Queen Clarion said. Then she flew away.

Moonglow blinked. "She didn't answer my question," Moonglow said, "but then, she is probably very busy."

Queen Clarion flew to the border. Lord Milori was waiting.

"Are you ready?" asked Queen Clarion.

Lord Milori nodded.

Queen Clarion took his hand and pulled him across the border. Lord Milori immediately felt overcome by the heat. He forced himself to look at all of the amazing things in Queen Clarion's realm.

After a few seconds, Lord Milori felt too hot. But he flew closer to Queen Clarion. Their faces almost touched when there was a horrible _crack_!

Lord Milori fell to the ground. He turned to look at his wings. With horror, he saw a huge crack across one wing. It was getting larger.

"Oh no! You have stayed here too long!" Queen Clarion cried out. She grabbed Lord Milori's arm and helped him back to the Winter Woods. Just before he crossed the border, the crack on his wing went all the way across the wing, and it fell off. Queen Clarion grabbed it. She was crying.

Lord Milori was very sad. He lifted his wings and tried to fly, but he could not get off the ground.

"This is all my fault," Queen Clarion said.

Lord Milori shook his head. "No, it is not. It is my fault. I insisted on crossing."

"I knew the danger..." Queen Clarion shook her head. Mother Dove's words echoed inside her brain, _be very careful... be very careful... be very careful..._

"You'll never fly again," Queen Clarion said sadly.

"I will find a way," Lord Milori said.

Queen Clarion flew back to the Pixie Dust Tree. She put Lord Milori's wing under her bed. Queen Clarion then fell onto her bed sobbing.

Lord Milori walked slowly into the Winter Woods. He found a snowy owl and gave it a pat. This was his favorite snowy owl.

"Lord Milori, you are needed!" a voice called. Lord Milori gasped. It was the Minister of Winter! She could not find out about his broken wing.

Lord Milori hastily plucked feathers from the snowy owl. He draped them over his back like a shawl. He tied it around his neck and got onto the snowy owl. The Minister of Winter flew over to him.

"What is the matter?" she asked. "You are usually so punctual, but now you are very late!"

"I was busy," said Lord Milori. He held onto the owl's back and squeezed his legs. The owl understood and flew into the air, following the Minister of Winter.

Queen Clarion felt as if she could cry forever, but soon there were no tears left. Queen Clarion sat up. She had to do something. Nothing like this could be allowed to ever happen again.

Queen Clarion flew to a water fairy. "Tell every fairy in Pixie Hollow except for the winter fairies that cannot survive in the warm areas to come to the Pixie Dust Tree," she said.

The water fairy nodded and flew off. Soon fairies began to arrive. When every fairy including the Minister of Winter and a few snowflake fairies arrived, Queen Clarion cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"I have decided on a very important rule," began Queen Clarion. "A terrible tragedy has happened today. As a result, I have created this law. No warm fairy is allowed to cross the border to the Winter Woods, and no winter fairy is allowed to cross the border to the warm seasons, except for the Minister of Winter and the few snowflake fairies that have been born in the Pixie Dust Tree. Also, all of the fairies should keep a distance from the border, except for the winter fairies who were born here."

Everyone was quiet. Then one snowflake fairy raised a hand. "How will the winter fairies know about this law?" she asked.

"Oh!" Queen Clarion said. "Minister of Winter, you must tell Lord Milori about the rule. Then he will tell the other winter fairies."

"I will," the Minister of Winter said.

"Everyone may go back to what they were doing before they were called here," Queen Clarion said.

All of the fairies got up. The Minister of Winter went right to Lord Milori and told him the rule.

"If that is what Queen Clarion thinks best," Lord Milori said. "I will tell all of the other winter fairies."

Lord Milori looked off in the distance to the Pixie Dust Tree. _Oh, Queen Clarion,_ he thought, _if only I had not stayed too long. I'd fly backwards if I could._


	11. Thousands of Years

Many seasons passed. Queen Clarion was still very sad about what had happened, but she rarely thought about it anymore. New fairies were born about every year, and Queen Clarion helped them.

As the years passed, Queen Clarion sometimes wondered if Lord Milori had forgotten about her. She knew that it was not entirely her fault that Lord Milori had broken his wing, but she still felt very guilty.

Queen Clarion immersed herself in learning about Pixie Hollow and fairy magic. She had soon learned how to travel in streams of pure pixie dust. The queen was not very good at it at first, but she got better as she practiced. It became her custom to travel in streams of pure pixie dust every time a new fairy arrived.

Queen Clarion kept count of every fairy that was born. She somehow just knew exactly how many fairies had been born in the Pixie Dust Tree, and she never forgot.

Many decades passed. Although fairies don't keep track of years as we do, Queen Clarion knew that she had been around for a very long time. As the years passed, Queen Clarion grew wiser.

After one hundred years had passed, Queen Clarion ordered a celebration. Every hundred years there was to be a huge celebration.

Thousands of years went by. One fine spring night, a dandelion fluff blew through Pixie Hollow. A fast-flying fairy named Vidia saw it and guided it to the Pixie Dust Tree. It landed in the center. All of the fairies sat in their designated locations. The Ministers were near the fluff.

A dust-keeper fairy named Terence poured pixie dust onto the dandelion fluff. As the pixie dust sank into the fluff, the head of the fairy came up. It was a girl. She had blonde hair and blue eyes.

Suddenly, streams of pixie dust came towards the Ministers.

"Queen Clarion!" a few fairies gasped.

The Ministers bowed and flew backwards. The streams of pixie dust met in between the Ministers. Queen Clarion appeared.

"Born of laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here. Welcome to Pixie Hollow! I trust you have found your way all right," Queen Clarion said to the new fairy.

"I... think so," the new fairy said.

Queen Clarion chuckled.

"Now, let's see about those wings," the queen said.

She lifted the new fairy's wings. A beautiful swirl pattern was on them. Queen Clarion ran her hands up the wings, making them shine with pixie dust.

"Ooh!" the fairies murmured.

Queen Clarion took the new fairy's hand. The fairy fluttered her wings and flew around Queen Clarion. Queen Clarion let go of the fairy's hand, and she flew into the air, laughing. Her feet touched the ground, and mushrooms popped up.

A fairy from each talent put their symbol on a mushroom. "What are those?" asked the fairy.

"They will help you find your talent," replied Queen Clarion.

The new fairy touched a flower, but it fell down and went dark. The fairy gasped sadly. Queen Clarion motioned to the rest of the symbols.

The fairy touched quite a few of the symbols, but they each faded and went down. Afraid to touch another symbol, the fairy walked past a hammer without touching it. But the hammer rose from its mushroom and followed the new fairy!

Everyone gasped. The fairy turned around. She reached out her hands, and then pulled them back. The hammer came closer. The fairy grabbed it and it glowed brighter than the sun! Shading her eyes, the new fairy grinned.

Queen Clarion flew over. "You are a tinker fairy, Tinker Bell," she said.

The End


End file.
